


something surprising

by Suicix



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 17:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3858460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suicix/pseuds/Suicix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even though AJ's told Kaitlyn that she wants to retire soon, her actual return home to her girlfriend is going to be a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	something surprising

**Author's Note:**

> kinda felt the need to write this in light of aj's retirement, which wasn't entirely shocking but still rather sudden. she may never have been one of my very favourite divas bc of the heavy internalised misogyny in her character, but i'm still going to miss her (and i certainly couldn't pass up writing some aj/kaitlyn).

AJ pulls her suitcase along through the corridor of her apartment building with somewhat of a skip in her step. Not the usual skip – hypnotising, almost mocking, trying to play with her opponent’s mind in a match – but just because she feels genuinely content. No more ridiculous obligations to a company that only seems to give half a damn about her, no more hectic schedules that pull her away from Kaitlyn.

 _Kaitlyn_.

AJ takes a deep breath when she reaches the door of their apartment. She’s told Kaitlyn that she’s been thinking about retirement for a while, and of course Kaitlyn’s been totally supportive of whatever AJ wants to do, but unless Kaitlyn’s been looking at the Internet very recently, she’ll have no idea that AJ has, in fact, just retired. Even if she’s heard though, she can’t possibly know that AJ took the first flight she could and is already home.

So, to keep it as much of a surprise as possible, AJ opts to ring the doorbell rather than just opening the door with her key. A moment later there’s the pad of footsteps from the other side of the door, and AJ finds her throat tightening up a little. She doesn’t know what there is to be nervous about, exactly. Maybe because this is it, this is her coming home and never going back.

The door opens.

“AJ?” Kaitlyn’s eyes light up when she realises who it is, but AJ can see that joy isn’t the only thing there – there’s also confusion, a little concern. “What are you doing back now? And why are you ringing the doorbell; don’t you have your key with–?”

“I did it.”

“You... you did what?” _Ah_ – so Kaitlyn doesn’t know at all.

“Haven’t you checked Twitter? Anywhere?”

Kaitlyn slowly shakes her head, eyebrows furrowed. For a moment it seems like time stops, like everything freezes in this split second of silence and still before AJ speaks.

“I retired. I left and I’m not going back any time soon.”

Again, a halt. Like Kaitlyn can’t quite believe it, even if she knows this has been on AJ’s mind for the last few months.

“So you finally went through with it, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s done. I’m... I’m all yours now.”

(Of course she was always all Kaitlyn’s anyway, but with no WWE breathing down her neck anymore she’s free to be that whenever, always. Kaitlyn smiles and pulls AJ by the hand into the apartment, and once AJ and her bag are securely inside she’s lifted up and held close in a tight, safe hug.)

It’s obviously the best evening AJ’s had in a while, even including the other recent ones when she was actually able to come home to be with her girlfriend. Just the fact that there isn’t that same daunting, disheartening responsibility looming over her anymore makes it that much better. Makes spending time with Kaitlyn that much better, because AJ is able to take everything slowly now, is able to savour Kaitlyn and being with her.

They’re curled up on the couch after a movie, just totally enveloped in each other. AJ has somehow managed to absentmindedly spider-monkey herself around Kaitlyn, and though she’s always thought that it must be at least _somewhat_ uncomfortable for Kaitlyn, it’s never earned her any complaints and it certainly isn’t now – Kaitlyn only pulls her closer.

“So happy you’re here, babe. So, so happy. Wasn’t expecting to see you for another couple of days at least.”

“Yeah,” AJ says, nodding. “I wasn’t either. Sort of a spur of the moment thing. Well – obviously I’ve been considering it for a while now, but like... actually deciding to do it today, just like that? I wasn’t even thinking about this when I woke up. About being here with you, then yeah, of course I was thinking about that. But being here because I retired? No.”

Kaitlyn frowns a little, and AJ isn’t exactly sure _why_ until she answers.

“But if this was that much of a spontaneous thing then what happens if you start to regret it? Are you totally sure this is what you want to do? Would you... do you think you’d ever go back?” Her voice is hushed a little at the end – as if though all of her wants AJ here with her, there’s some that feels that that part is being selfish and that AJ shouldn’t feel pressured into having to leave work, that’s worried that AJ will come to wish she hadn’t. It shouldn’t be this way; Kaitlyn shouldn’t have to feel like she’s the one who’s standing in the way of anything because she’s not, she’s really not.

“Maybe much later, maybe if things change. They might – but they might never, you know? I wouldn’t want to go back there and find out the division’s being treated the same way as it always has been.”

That seems to soften Kaitlyn, to soothe her. “And even despite all of that, you still really got to live your dream, got to do so many things. Of course things could have been better – you wouldn’t be leaving otherwise, and _I_ wouldn’t have left otherwise – but your career is something you can be proud of. And I am so, so proud of you, AJ.” She kisses the top of AJ’s head, and AJ nestles into her a little more before replying.

“I just wish I got to have my last match with you, y’know? But obviously you were already gone, so...”

“So that wasn’t an option, no. But you got my last match, at least. My title, too, and you deserved those things. And more, of course, but _everyone_ who’s still there deserves more than what they’re given.”

“Yeah. That’s one of the main reasons why I left, I told you. I couldn’t take that. And I couldn’t take being without you. That year was... that year was hard enough.” AJ smiles weakly.

“It was. I don’t doubt that they’d be begging you to come back, though, and I definitely would still support you if you did...” Kaitlyn begins, but AJ shoots her a look that says that that’s the last thing she’s going to do right now. “OK, OK. No regrets, then?”

“No regrets,” AJ replies, because there really are none. She achieved what she wanted and more: the tied record for the most title reigns, the _longest_ title reign, breaking down walls and barriers left and right. And she got Kaitlyn out of it, after all, with the knowledge that there’s always somewhere for her to go, always somewhere that will want her. While any kind of distant future with the company is uncertain, one with Kaitlyn is anything but that.


End file.
